A few things stood out in the Eagles first preseason game. For one, they don’t look ready for the real games to start. For two, they have some players that they probably need to let go of that they did not envision letting go of because of production, numbers or their place in their respective careers. On the same token, some guys need to be kept on the roster that they may have figured would be goners. Let’s start with who may be the goners :

“Goners”

1.) Jai Jarrett : Jarrett has done nothing since the day he was drafted to justify his foolish 2nd round selection. When Howie Roseman talks about guys that he has reached on in the past to pick for need, he’s looking at you, Jai. I think he gets cut. His preseason game one performance was dreadful.

2.) Darryl Tapp : Tapp has been a serviceable rotation player for the Birds, however he simply doesn’t have a home on this team because of a numbers game unless the Eagles keep an extra defensive lineman. I will touch on the “numbers” guy who takes his place in the “keepers” place.

3.) Chad Hall : Admittedly, I’ve never been Chad’s biggest fan. However, he’s had a very productive camp by all accounts and has caught everything they’ve thrown his way. The problem, again, is a numbers driven problem. DJax, Maclin, Avant are rock solids. Riley Cooper is near certain despite his injury (although, I speculate that his leash is getting shorter. He needs to have a good year to keep his job.) Not to mention what youngsters are lurking and may be more multifaceted than Hall.

4.) Trent Edwards : I liked he Trent Edwards signing. I thought he could challenge Kafka second string reps. Now, Nick Foles appears to be the front runner for the #2 QB spot and Kafka will probably be kept around because of his draft pick status.

5.) Chas Henry : McBriar has simply out booted the young fella.he will catch on with another team, guaranteed.

6.) Chris Polk : All of the hype aside, Bryce Brown has simply outplayed Polk. Again, I think Polk has a home with another NFL team, juts not here unless Andy uses what would have been a spot he gave to a FB in the past. Perhaps Polk and Chad Hall are fighting for that last spot?

“Keepers”

1.) Phillip Hunt :

This guy never stops “going” to use a defensive coordinator term. His motor is non stop (another defensive coordinator term) and he deserves a spot on the roster. I think he sticks. Tapp may have to be traded or cut to accommodate, unless Mike Patterson open on the PUP and the Eagles keep that extra D-lineman.

2.) Damaris Johnson : The guy is lightning fast and he adds an element to the team that has been missing for years : a return threat. Has it really been since Brian Mitchell that we have had a consistent return guy on this team? (I don’t count Westbrook and Jackson because they weren’t really full time return guys for any prolonged period of time.)

3.) Mat McBriar : Chas Henry has really had a nice camp, and it would be a shame to waste a pick on a punter, however McBriar was an elite punter and looks to be at that level once again.

As a post script, Clay Harbor and Joselio Hanson have looked very good in camp and seemed to have solidified their spot on the depth chart, not necessarily their roster spot.

“We’re going to do our best to put the ball on the sidelines or out of bounds and limit the room that he has to work with,” Weatherford told the New York Daily News. “Ideally, I’d like to have the ball out of bounds — obviously that’s what (Tom) Coughlin’s looking for.”

Weatherford also wants to make it clear that a punter’s job — especially angling punts away from predatory return-men — is more strenuous than you’d think.

ST. LOUIS – The lockout didn’t bother Michael Vick. It simply left him with fresh legs for the season opener.

The Eagles quarterback was in dazzling form and the other Philly game-breakers were hard to catch, too, as the team opened its self-proclaimed Super Bowl drive with a 31-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

“It felt great to know that I can go out and play lights out, not have to worry about anything,” Vick said. “I feel better than I’ve ever felt before and I give a lot of credit with the situation with the CBA, giving us a lot time to get rest and to prepare ourselves. Read the rest of this entry »

The team’s second-round pick in the 2008 draft has become one of the most dynamic players in the league during this three-year career, and Jackson wants a contract that reflects that. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal, one that will pay him $565,000 in 2011. Still, the organization has no interest in talking to Jackson about a new deal until he reports to camp.

The family problem that was keeping Asante Samuel out of Eagles training camp apparently has been resolved; the team confirmed that Samuel reported to Lehigh today. He is scheduled to take part in the afternoon walthough and speak with the media afterward.

Eagles president Joe Banner has appeared on WIP Radio and on the PFT Live podcast today. In both appearances, Banner said the Eagles are keeping their options open with Samuel, now part of a three-Pro Bowl-corner triumvirate.

On PFT Live, Banner said the situation might be like two years ago, when the Eagles felt they were best off with Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick at the quarterback position, rather than trying to move one. of course, that was a one-year situation.Read the rest of this entry »

Now we know why Jeremy Maclin has not been at training camp. And it has nothing to do with money.

Maclin is battling an illness. Head coach Andy Reid wouldn’t say what kind of illness, but he did say he didn’t know when the wide receiver would finally make it to Lehigh University.

With Maclin out, and fellow starter at wide receiver DeSean Jackson holding out in hopes of getting a new contract, the Eagles have spent all their time at training camp without their starting wideouts.

That’s enough to temper the mood a bit around Lehigh. The place has been buzzing since the Birds inked cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, signed defensive end Jason Babin, traded for corner Dominique Rodgers-Croomartie and signed free-agent defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins.

“I really can’t talk about it until he gets up here,’’ Reid said about Maclin’s illness. “And that’s no pressure on him or I’m pushing. I just want what’s best for him and that’s all I care about right now. This is a personal thing and I can’t go any further than that.

“When it’s taken care of, then we’ll talk. But right now, I’m saying you guys, I’ve had a chance to talk to him every day and we all love the kid. He’s nothing but toughness and grit and everything. He loves to play the game, but we just have to get this part taken care of.”

Maclin suffered through a mono-like illness during the offseason and lost about 15 pounds. He did practice briefly during the Eagles informal workouts in Evesham in May.

DeSean Jackson was not at the Eagles’ first training camp practice Thursday morning at Lehigh University, a team source said.

Jackson can now officially be labeled a holdout.

This morning’s practice — a walk-through — is closed to the media and fans. But as expected the Eagles’ star wide receiver was not in uniform even though he is contractually obligated to be in attendance. Jackson didn’t arrive at Lehigh like almost all of the Eagles on Wednesday, but he was given a grace period because of the NFL lockout.

Jackson’s reason for holding out is no secret, although neither he nor his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have publicly stated the reason. He wants a new contract. Jackson is entering the last year of the four-year deal he signed as a second-round draft pick in 2008. He is slated to earn $560,000 in base salary this season.

Rosenhaus did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowl player, is underpaid compared to other similarly-talented receivers and the Eagles are likely to want to extend him at some point. But holding out against the Eagles doesn’t usually end well.

We’ll see how long Jackson stays away from Lehigh, but he will be fined $30,000 for each day that he misses.

Also, as expected, quarterback Kevin Kolb did not report to Lehigh. He is currently the centerpiece of trade discussions between the Eagles and Cardinals so it is uncertain if the Eagles have excused his absence.